The Stranger's God
by Lieutenant Side Salad
Summary: A messed up spell from the Wizards sends CaptainSparklez, Jericho, OMGITSFirefoxx, and Syndicate into the world of Warriors, but they aren't alone. Now they're trying desperately to find a way home, with prophechies and danger lurking around every corner. Warriors/Realm of Mianite crossover.
1. Prologue

Things had been relatively peaceful since the flood died down and the Clans returned to their normal routines. Most of Thunderclan had been more than happy to bask in the good fortune the were going through, but Jayfeather had been anticipating trouble. Nothing ever stayed easy for long in the forest. Dread had been creeping through his fur for days and he had been more on edge than usual, he could just tell that something important would occur soon. Leafpool hadn't been as agitated as her son, but now that she had returned to her medicine cat duties she could feel the stirrings in the air as well. Trouble was on it's way.

"You could visit the Moonpool, Jayfeather. I can watch over Briarlight and Squirrelflight while you're away." Leafpool suggested one evening.

Briarlight had been recovering well from a recent bought of sickness, but Millie insisted upon the medicine cats paying close attention to her in case she caught something again. Squirrelflight was due to have her kits any moon now, and Leafpool worried for her slightly since she was quite a bit older than most expecting Queens. The gray tabby flicked his tail as he considered the idea, it would certainly be helpful to shed show light on his restlessness.

"I'll let Bramblestar know, then. Make sure Briarlight does her exercises before she goes to sleep."

Answering mew was enough for Jayfeather and he padded lightly out of the den, into the crisp leaffall air. Most of the clan was scattered about in their various end-of-the-day tasks. The last few patrols were returning through the camp entrance, and pairs of cats ranged the clearing as they shared tongues. Jayfeather could scent his leader, who was perched on top of the highrock surveying the activities. He must've spotted Jayfeather staring in his direction and hopped down, padding over to the younger tom.

"You look like something's troubling you, is Squirrelflight okay?"

"Of course, I'm sure she'd be the first to tell you if something was wrong. I came to tell you that I'm going to the Moonpool tonight."

Brambleclaw dismissed Jayfeather's comment with a flick of his ear and nodded thoughtfully. He was well aware that something was upsetting the medicine cats, but trusted that they would let him know if and when they found out anything. Considering asking Jayfeather outright what the problem was, he lingered with his mouth half-open. The gray tabby didn't wait to hear whatever it was his leader had to say, and instead continued past the dusk patrol, laden with fresh-kill, and into the forest.

The trek had become a tiny bit more difficult since losing his powers, but Jayfeather had walked it enough that he could make it by memory with just a stumble or two each trip, not that he would ever admit to those stumbles. It was a clear night and not a single gust of wind shook the trees around him as he walked. The whispers of Starclan and cats even more ancient than that seemed to visit him already. He couldn't make out what they were saying...but something about them caused his neck-fur to fluff up. They were quite unsettling tonight.

Upon reaching the cold hollow in which the sacred pool was hidden, Jayfeather was aware of the swell of voices growing louder, but no more distinct than before. He curled one lip back in annoyance, already anticipating a wild goose chase as he tried to seek his answers.

"Did you think we would just tell you everything you wanted after the Great Battle? Things are no different than before, you have to seek the answers yourself and not always come crying to us."

A raspy, mocking voice alerted Jayfeather to the fact that he was already in Starclan. Blinking, he found that he suddenly see again and that Yellowfang's flattened face stared into his own.

"We _did _stop the Dark Forest from destroying you, a little thanks would be nice." The tom retorted, though his eyes betrayed that he wasn't completely serious. He was used to dealing with the old she-cat by now.

"Your thanks is that your lives were spared and your Clan lives on. That's beside the point, though, you came here for answers. Ask away."

Jayfeather eyed her for a moment, surprised that she seemed so willing to dive into this conversation. There had to be some catch to this.

"Leafpool and I can sense that something is about to happen, can you shed any light on our instincts?"

Yellowfang remained silent for a long time, looking like she was heavily debating with herself about something. It was obvious that she knew exactly what he was talking about, but she wasn't sure how much she should say. In the end she stood up and gave her fur a rough shake, her rank breath curled his whiskers as she stepped closer and said;

"_A deadly mistake is about to be made. A force that was never meant to be will sweep the lake and shake the Clans to their core, the only hope is the lives of Four."_

The last words of the prophecy sent Jayfeather recoiling backwards, blinking at Yellowfang with disbelief and a sudden hunger in his eyes.

"Are you saying that the Four aren't finished? Are we going to get our powers back?"

But Yellowfang was fading fast with an odd look on her face, like she held a powerful knowledge that even she couldn't completely understand. Darkness sunk over Jayfeather's vision and he was blind once more, cursing the fact that Starclan always disappeared before they could explain any of their cryptic words. _The lives of Four. _The prophecy lingered in his ears and put a spring in his step as he hurried home through the cold dawn light. _Could this mean that we're about to get our powers back...that Lionblaze, Dovewing, Firestar, and I are to save the Clans again?_

_AN: Nothing of the other side of the crossover in the prologue, but it won't be that way for long! :D I actually came up with that prophecy on the spot, because I had everything planned out for this except for what Yellowfang would say..._


	2. Bad Aim

**_AN: There will probably be minor language in chapters from the Mianite crew's POV, so yeah...just a warning._**

"Come on, Wag!"

"Yeah, we'll pay and everything."

Syndicate and Jericho were standing outside the FyreUK building, begging for wizarding lessons from Waglington. CaptainSparklez and Firefoxx had accompanied them, but they remained several steps behind in a detached manner. Sparklez had planned on strip-mining and Firefoxx had been preparing to rebuild Boris for days, but they had both put their plans aside and tagged along when they heard of the other two's ploy.

The idea had come from Syndicate at first, to have the Wizards teach him their spells and tricks. When Jericho overheard the plan, he dropped everything because he wasn't about to let Syn be the only one of them to get wizard powers. Now the two of them were crowding an overwhelmed looking Waglinton, who looked from one to the other with a slightly confused half-smile on his face.

"Uh, no can do, guys. Spells are for wizards only."

"We can be wizards!" Syndicate insisted.

"Yeah, just tell us how!" Jericho added.

"It's not that easy."

"Why don't you just show them a spell or two? They'll be impressed and then we can leave."

Firefoxx suggested suddenly, a bored expression on her face. Waglington nodded to her gratefully and hovered into the air. Sparklez flashed a glance at her with raised eyebrows, and she winked in response. She waited until the others were out of earshot and whispered;

"Watch what he does closely and then maybe we can pick out something he does before the spell that could cause it."

Sparklez blinked in surprise and then nodded quickly, turning to fix his gaze on the wizard floating above them.

"I'm just going to show you a couple things, okay? Don't tell the others."

Sparklez could tell from the expression on Waglington's face that it was all for show, that he was only demonstrating his powers because he knew they couldn't copy him. He started with some simple things at first, spawning blocks, items and some smaller mobs. After spawning a little wolf that immediately retreated to hide behind Firefoxx, he started doing more complex tricks. From moving whole sections of the land around them, to spawning an entire building nearby, and more.

Syndicate must've had the same idea as Firefoxx, for his jet black eyes were locked on the wizard, only he didn't have the patience that she did. An Enderpearl shot from his hand, aimed at the side of the building just behind Waglington, but he aimed wrong and was sent crashing into the wizard mid-spell by mistake. Waglington yelped some quick words of reversal, but the damage was already done. With a few quick snaps and fizzles the four of them suddenly disappeared, leaving a shocked Waglington staring with panic in his eyes. The wizard froze for several seconds with his mouth open before rushing into the HQ to find the others.

-_one mistaken spell later-_

Before Firefoxx, Jericho, Sparklez and Syndicate knew what was happening they were cast into a dark nothingness. A calming silence fell over each of them and just as suddenly as they had been blinded, they were thrust into the bright sunlight again. Firefoxx blinked her bright green eyes a couple times as she tried to take in her new surroundings.

The first thing she noticed was that she could smell quite a bit better than she remembered. Had the air always carried such vivid scents? She could smell the grass beneath her paws...her _paws_? Sitting back and lifting her front limb up quickly, she let out a tiny gasp. It was indeed a paw, not a hand. She jumped up and looked over her shoulder, a wave of orange fur greeted her.

"F-firefoxx, you're a cat!"

Jericho's startled...meow caught her attention. He was staring at her with wide eyes and then he sat back on his haunches and looked himself over, letting out another shocked cry as he saw his own body. Sparklez was watching his flicking tail curiously, like he was pondering what had happened to them, while Syndicate was running in circles, trying to get a good view of himself.

"Why are we cats?!"

"Syndicate, what did you do?!"

"It wasn't me, I swear!"

A chorus of loud mews echoed from them as they all started panicking. Sparklez seemed to be the calmest out of all of them and he reached out a paw to cuff Jericho and Syndicate's ears. Firefoxx was suddenly gratefully that she was out of reach.

"Calm down! I think Waglington's spell sent us here, _Syn_."

It was obvious that the gray and black cat's screw-up had sent them there, but he only huffed in indignation and turned away in denial. Firefoxx looked to the side, suddenly realizing something more important to focus on; Where they were. A wide moorland surrounded them on all sides, with a forest a little ways off and a lake just beyond that. Some tiny shapes near the shoreline caught her eye and she squinted at them.

"Hey guys, what's that over there?" She asked, gesturing with her fluffy tail.

"I think they're cats."

Leaning forward in effort, she continued to watch them. It was hard to tell, but they did seem to move like cats. The four of them shifted their paws in excitement and bounded off, with Syndicate in the lead. Perhaps these strangers could help them shed some light on where they were. As they got closer and the shapes grew more distinct, they started to slow down. These other cats had spread out in a line, taking aggressive stances. As soon as the four of them came within earshot, a loud yowl split the mid-morning air.

"Stop, trespassers! What are you doing on Windclan territory?"

Firefoxx and Jericho exchanged confused glances, while Syndicate exclaimed outright;

"What's a Windclan? We don't even know where we are, our wizard messed up on one of his spells!"

It was the strangers turn to look confused, his amber eyes seeming lost on Syndicate's foreign words. Then his fur fluffed up, looking like a spiky shadow, and he hissed menacingly.

"Get off our land right now, or we'll shred you where you stand."

The growl that had been meant as a threat was met with a challenge from Syndicate, who hadn't quite grasped the gravity of the situation and his arrogant nature was showing through.

"Make me, bitch! We'll stay and figure out why we're here and _then _we'll leave."

He stated with a angry spit, despite the protests from his friends. The other three clearly weren't willing to test the weight of the black cats threat, but it was too late and, once again, Syndicate had gotten them caught in a bad situation. It was four against four, but Firefoxx could tell from the way these cats moved that they were dangerous. She and her friends had only been cats for a few minutes, they wouldn't stand a chance against these muscled fighters. True, they did appear to be skinny, but the were far from weak-looking.

"Oh, we'll make you alright."

The black cat lashed his tail once and the fight began. Two cats flanked Jericho and Sparklez and the other dashed around to Firefoxx's side, within a matter of seconds the four of them had been surrounded and were being pushed close together. Syndicate hissed and lifted a paw, but the tabby he face only mimicked him and showed twice his ferocity.

A dark gray tabby who looked quite a bit older than the others was the first to make an actual attack, and he leapt at Jericho, bowling the dark tabby over in a writhing mass of fur and claws. Firefoxx flinched when she heard a howl of pain from her boyfriend, but couldn't turn to help. The light brown she-cat that had cornered her slashed at her and she ducked away, barely avoiding a shredded ear.

"Quick, follow me!"

Sparklez call distracted her attacker, and Firefoxx rolled to the side before jumping up and racing after the black and white cat. Syndicate kicked his opponent away and head-butted Jericho's attacker. The two of them managed to break free of the brawl and follow Sparklez and Firefoxx. Their enemies were gaining on them fast, but as they reached the forest and jumped headlong into a river dividing the trees, they fell back.

"Leave them, Breezepelt! Their Thunderclan's problem now." The gray tabby called to the only one who tried to press onward.

The black cat was glaring at Syndicate's retreating figure with undisguised malice. Finally he slowly broke the stare and followed his clanmates away. Firefoxx stopped and panted heavily, watching the strangers leave. She and Sparklez had only suffered a minor scratch or two, but the others weren't so lucky. Syndicate's one eye was already swollen shut and a trickle of blood dripped from his cheek. Jericho had several deep cuts along his shoulders and he was leaning on Firefoxx like he was about to collapse.

Just as they were about to start moving again, a strange growl broke the pain-filled silence they had been in.

"And just _what _do you think you're doing in Thunderclan territory?"

_AN: Hooray, cliffhanger(kind of)! xD In case you were wondering, the cats in the Windclan patrol are Breezepelt, Heathertail, Sedgewhisker and Webfoot(I think Webfoot was still alive at the end of Bramblestar's Storm, right?)_

_Qwerty: I looked it up like seven years ago, when I first found Warriors, and my apprentice name was Stealthpaw, but my warrior name was Scarpelt. Apparently something REALLY screwed up happened to me in between becoming an apprentice and a warrior xD_

_Enderdeath: It's here?! -gasp- I never would have guessed! xD_


	3. Trusting Strangers

Bramblestar stared at these strange-looking cats with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. They were trespassers and instinct told him that such a large group should be driven away immediately, but a feeling on the back of his mind kept his claws sheathed. It was obvious that they had had a run-in with the Windclan patrol he could see retreating across the moor, and it looked like these cats had gotten the worst of it.

The she-cat had ginger fur, which had seemed pretty normal at first, but when he got closer he realized she had the exact patterns and colors of a fox. He had never seen a cat who's fur mimicked the sly creature so perfectly. Even the toms' fur seemed off when compared to the cats of the lake. The dark brown tabby was the closest to normal, but for some reason he had a green twoleg-pelt type thing resting between his ears. One of the two black and white toms had a twoleg object as well. His fur was completely jet black except for his paws and a v-shaped, white patch on his chest, and he had some sort of red item perched on his nose.

The other tom had a larger patch of white from his chest to his belly, and he had the oddest combination of colors and patches Bramblestar had ever seen on a tortoiseshell cat by far. His entire head was gray, perhaps with a subtle hint of green, as were his paws and his tail. The rest of him, other than his chest and belly, were black. Even his eyes were the same solid dark color as the majority of his pelt.

They stared up at him in dismay, all except the odd tortoiseshell, who let out an exasperated sigh. His companions were clearly in no mood for any more trouble, but he still held the look of a fighter in his eyes, despite his painful-looking wounds. Bramblestar waited for several heartbeats as they looked at one another, but still didn't respond. He decided to try again;

"You're obviously not from around here if you weren't aware of the territories by this lake. Where do you come from?"

"An island. A long..._long _way from here." The brown tabby answered through gritted teeth.

He was hurt and looked like he wanted nothing more than to curl up on the ground and sleep, but he wasn't going to let his feisty companion answer for them and stir up trouble again. Bramblestar admired the spirit this group possessed and couldn't help thinking, _With a little training they could make excellent warriors. _The toms answer was startling too, and Bramblestar tried to imagine if he had seen any islands near the sun-drown place. He couldn't remember any, so that must've meant they had traveled a incredibly long distance.

"What are you doing here, then?"

Cloudtail asked with a growl, suspicion seemed to come off of the white tom in waves. Glancing around, Bramblestar could see that Ivypool and Amberpaw were just as wary. Was he the only one who was unwilling to see these cats as an immediate threat? They had clearly been beaten and didn't seem like they were here to cause problems. In fact, they stared around with lost, worried eyes, like they hadn't the slightest idea where they were.

"We're, uh, a little lost. You see, we don't _really _know where we are...or how to get back home."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

The black and white tom with the red twoleg item stepped forward and tried, unsuccessfully, to explain for his wounded friends. His explanation didn't make sense and he seemed to know that, but he still had that upset look in his eyes.

"I don't think you would understand...we were sent here by some sort of magic."

"_Magic?_" It was Bramblestar's turn to look incredulous.

"I'm telling the truth! Our friend, Waglington, is a wizard and Syndicate messed him up while he was performing a spell. I think that's what sent us here."

His clanmates let out disbelieving snorts at this, but Bramblestar felt oddly compelled to trust their words. It was such an outrageous claim and he couldn't see anything but truth in the toms eyes. Motioning for them to stay put, he backed away to speak with the rest of his patrol.

"I know it sounds weird, but why would any cat make-up such a crazy tale if they wanted us to trust them? Maybe it wasn't really magic, and they're just mistaken, but they're still lost and don't have anywhere to stay. We can let them stay for a couple nights while they figure out what to do."

Bramblestar's suggestion was met with little protest as they thought about the truth in his words. Cloudtail didn't look happy, but he didn't argue the point any further. Amberpaw looked excited to be a part of the discussion with the older warriors, but didn't offer any other solutions.

"What will the other Clans say if they find out? Windclan certainly didn't seem all to welcoming of them." Ivypool asked.

"The other Clans rarely have anything nice to say about what Thunderclan does anymore. Besides, our decisions are our own and the other Clans will have to learn to accept that. You know Firestar would have at least offered them a place to stay for the night and something to treat their wounds."

His clanmates nodded grudgingly at his last words, even after all these moons mentions of Firestar tended to end any argument of values. Bramblestar turned away from them and faced the strangers again. The dark tabby had sunk onto the ground and leaned into the ginger she-cat that he assumed was his mate. The odd tortoiseshell was swaying on his feet, they were both clearly exhausted.

"Why don't you come back to camp with us? Our medicine cats can treat your wounds and then you can find a way back to your home tomorrow."

The tortoiseshell looked like he was ready to object, but the black and white tom nudged him heavily. The dark tabby heaved himself up with a grateful look flashing across his tired face. The tortoiseshell stood back up again and stared at his paws unhappily.

"Thank you, I don't know how much longer Jericho would be able to travel if we had to."

"Don't worry, Jayfeather will fix him up good as new!" Amberpaw insisted, jumping up excitedly.

Bramblestar began leading the way back to the hollow, with Iypool and Cloudtail fell back to guide the strangers along. The white warrior still eyed them distrustfully and it was clear that he had taken the position in back to make sure they didn't try anything shifty. _The rest of the Clan will probably be worried as well, _the dark tabby leader thought to himself, _but I'm sure I've made the right decision. _

It was only when the reached the camp that Bramblestar remembered Jayfeather's omen of a force that was never meant to be, and the black and white cat's words of magic accidents sent a shiver down his spine. _What have I done? I've brought the danger straight to the heart of Thunderclan._

_AN: Ahah, I accidentally made this chapter longer than intended. I guess that means an extra chapter from Bramblestar's POV then xD Also, I had a little bit of an idea, but I wasn't sure if I should add it or not, so I'll ask the readers xD Should I add a little romance between one of the Mianite crew and a Warrior cat? I thought of doing Syndicate x Hollyleaf, but then I remembered that she's dead at this point and I thought Syndicate x Ivypool. I don't know if I will or not, and if I do I might leave the pairing up to you guys to decide._

_Qwerty: I actually had that happen to my Stealthclaw OC back on a roleplaying site, and I was like O: It's a sign! xD_

_Enderdeath: I did not know, thanks for telling me! xD And isn't that how Warriors always seems to go? Nothing is ever calm for more than like half a chapter xD_


	4. Winning Over The Clan

_-Mianite crew's POV-_

Sparklez couldn't help but marvel at the organization that these cats had. It was amazing to think that these wild cats were functioning so similarly to how humans did, and no one had any idea. Upon entering the camp, several cats seemed to already be aware of strangers in their midst. A couple of them hissed loudly and arched their backs, fur bristling. They must've thought the four of them were captured enemies.

"Cinderheart, Shadowclan is coming to get us!" A tiny voice squealed from the far side of camp.

"Hush, Hollykit, it's just some rogues."

A gray tabby was quickly ushering a tiny kitten towards a large bush, keeping her voice calm despite the worry in her eyes. Sparklez shifted his paws awkwardly, realizing that she was afraid the four of them were a threat. It was odd to think that these cats saw them as some vicious enemy, when there were so many of them. The dark tabby who had led them there immediately climbed atop a ledge along the side of the camp. The white cat led them to a spot below the ledge and lashed his tail once.

"You stay right here, I'll go get Jayfeather." He growled.

Jericho happily collapsed onto the ground again and Firefoxx moved over to sit up against him. Syndicate remained standing, staring defiantly around the clearing at all the cats. It looked like another fight was seconds away from breaking out. Sparklez flashed him an annoyed look and whispered fiercely;

"They're nice enough to let us stay here, stop egging them on!"

"_One _of them said we could stay. If the rest of them don't agree, don't you think we'll be in trouble? They'll chase us out whether he wants them to or not."

Sparklez couldn't argue with that logic and when he glanced up at the tabby on the ledge, Syndicate's words seemed even more plausible. He didn't know what had changed during the trek here, but now the tabby had the same distrust in his eyes as the others. The high stone walls that had seemed like a perfect place to shelter just seconds before now loomed like the sides of a monstrous cage. There would be no easy escape if another fight was started. Sparklez ears flicked back against his head in sudden fright, afraid that perhaps they had been tricked by the tabby's kindness and that they were in the middle of a trap.

"Keep your fur on, all of you! Acting like that is only going to put them on edge too."

A loud voice filled with annoyance suddenly sounded from beside them. Sparklez flinched slightly and spun around, still half-expecting to be attacked. The speaker was a gray tabby with odd-looking blue eyes, it took Sparklez a second to realize that he was blind. An older tabby followed up behind him, with leaves and plants in her mouth. He turned to her, expecting that she was this "Jayfeather".

"Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I'm useless, mousebrain."

The tabby spoke again, as if reading his mind, this time with a growl echoing in his throat. Gulping and ducking his head in embarrassment, Sparklez struggled to find a response that wouldn't offend the tabby. Syndicate quickly took advantage of his awkward silence.

"Yeah, Sparklez! Why you gotta be so darude to these cats? They've been nothing but kind to us!" He called mockingly.

Jayfeather glanced over at the tortoiseshell for a second, his unseeing eyes seeming to scorch through his fur, and then rested on Jericho. He moved over and motioned for Firefoxx to move out of the way. She looked indignant for a second, but when met with the tabby's glare she quickly backed off to let him work. The light brown tabby dropped some of the leaves beside him.

"I'll need some marigold and horsetail for the minor wounds, Leafpool."

"That nasty cut along his shoulder will need some mallow as well."

"Only if we have any left, if we don't just bring the marigold and horsetail."

The two of them moved with startling efficiency, even Jayfeather seemed to know the exact severity of the wounds despite not being able to see them. Jericho's eyes were half closed and he didn't seem to be focusing much on what any of them were saying. _Is he really hurt that badly? _Sparklez wondered worriedly, sparking terrified thoughts of Jericho not making it through this.

"Stop panicking. He's just going through a little shock, I'm guessing you've been through a lot today and that would explain it."

Jayfeather stated bluntly, surprising Sparklez again with how much he knew about what was going on around him. Shifting his paws awkwardly again and then sitting down, he watched the two tabbies work. Jayfeather was washing some of the blood away with wet moss, while Leafpool instructed Syndicate to do the same.

"W-what?! With my tongue? That's disgusting."

"How else are you going to clean the wounds?"

"With moss, like your using on Jericho!"

"Only because he can't do it himself. We only have so much moss, you know."

Leafpool seemed to be showing infinite patience with Syndicate, where as, Jayfeather kept shooting him annoyed glares as he listened to him complain. Sparklez glanced around self-consciously as he realized what a fuss his friend was making over something that seemed to be common knowledge among the clan. While they were being taken care of, the tabby had explained to the rest of them the situation. Several of the clan cats openly protested, while most just glanced at them periodically with wary, unhappy eyes.

"They don't want us here."

Sparklez turned away to see that Firefoxx had sat down next to him. She looked pretty tired as well, even though she wasn't hurt as bad. She was obviously worrying over Jericho. Her words rang true, though, because he could still here the cats arguing around them.

"They've got to be kittypets, look at the thing on that tabby! That's no leaf _I've _ever seen."

"The other Clans will never let us hear the end of it."

"I thought we were through with bringing more kittypets into the clan, we have enough mouths to feed anyway."

The tabby leader was starting to look overwhelmed, doubt crossing his face. Sparklez flicked his tail nervously, wondering if they were about to be driven out. To his surprise, Firefoxx suddenly stood up and marched closer to the ledge. She was clearly worn out beyond belief, but she managed to keep her head held high. A couple of the cats around them let out hisses of distrust, but the tabby lashed his tail and they quieted down. The fox-colored she-cat took a deep breath to steady her nerves and then spoke loudly;

"I know we're strangers to you, and you have no reason to trust us, but can you please put your doubt aside for just a little bit? My boyfriend is hurt so bad he can't move and the rest of us are injured too. We can't leave like this anyway, Jericho wouldn't make it off your territory without collapsing. All we ask for is a little kindness, we'll move on as soon as we're able to, I promise."

The tabby nodded slightly at her words, impressed by her bravery of speaking to a group of cats she didn't know, and who clearly didn't like her. Most of clan seemed to pacify with her speech, as well. They glanced over at Jericho, not knowing the meaning of the word "boyfriend" but they assumed it was like her mate. This softened a lot of them, seeing her loyalty to her friends. Eventually the protests died down and meows of agreement rang out, the Mianite crew would be allowed to stay until their wounds healed.

_-Bramblestar's POV-_

The leader let out a silent sigh of relief, after seeing how the orange she-cat calmed the clan down. Jayfeather and Leafpool began moving Jericho to the medicine cats den, with the tortoiseshell and the she-cat following along. The black and white cat glanced around, not knowing what to do. His wounds were minor and were practically healed already just by time itself.

Just as Bramblestar was about to jump down and speak to him, Lionblaze, who was acting as deputy in Squirrelflight's place, paced up to him and began talking amiably. He motioned to the fresh-kill pile and the two toms padded over to it. Confident that the newcomer was in good paws, Bramblestar hopped off the highledge and headed towards the place that the other three had disappeared to.

Jayfeather met him just as he was about to enter the den, knowledge flashing in his pale blue eyes. They padded side by side out of camp, Bramblestar knew that Jayfeather's next words would not be for idle ears and he didn't want the clan to panic again.

"You thought of the prophecy too?" The leader asked.

"Of course." Jayfeather replied curtly.

"Then was I wrong to bring them here? Are they the dark force the prophecy mentions?"

"They hardly seem like dark forces to me."

Bramblestar was growing annoyed of Jayfeather's short, tart replies. The tabby medicine cat obviously thought they had something to do with the prophecy, but if they weren't a threat, what value did they hold to it? _Unless they're the four the it speaks of! _A sudden thought struck him. He voiced his idea with trembling whiskers, and Jayfeather seemed to become just as annoyed.

"No! They're neither the dark force, nor the Four. This prophecy has something to do with us getting our powers back and I think these cats can help us. They can lead us to the dark force."

The gray tabby was very adamant with his response, but Bramblestar could see that he lacked the conviction he normally had with these type of things. It suddenly dawned on Bramblestar just how difficult it was for Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Dovewing to cope without their powers. Now, presented with a prophecy that sounded like it would return those powers, Jayfeather refused to believe it meant anything other than that. _Which means they could still be the Four it mentions..._Bramblestar decided, becoming more convinced with every passing heartbeat.

Jayfeather flashed him another angry look and then turned to go back to camp, using the excuse of checking on how the injured strangers were coming along. The dark tabby leader was left alone in the forest with his thoughts.

"They'll stay until their fully healed...and hopefully the clan will have warmed up to them by then. Maybe the dark force with have made itself known by then, and they'll know how to deal with it." He decided aloud, confidence filling him. They would beat this prophecy and avoid a tragedy like the Great Battle.

_AN: Haven't read through this chapter, since I'm not feeling all to well right now, so feel free to point out any errors and I'll fix them. I have tomorrow's chapter half-done, but I don't know if I'll have it finished in time. I might take a few days break from posting anything, just a heads up._


	5. Teasing

"You seem more like kittypets than rogues."

"I'm no kittypet!...er, what's a kittypet?"

Syndicate's wounds had healed at ten times the speed of Jericho's, the medicine cats were worried that his were becoming infected. Sparklez, Firefoxx, and the newly healed Syndicate had wandered around the camp most of the day, to stay out of their way. The tabby that lead them there, who they had learned was the leader, Bramblestar, insisted on having a warrior or two check on them often. He had said it was to make sure they looked after while they rested, but Sparklez could tell that it was really so that someone kept an eye on them. Some of the clan still didn't fully trust them.

Today their guard was a silver-and-white patched tabby, who's name was Ivypool. She hadn't been thrilled with her task at first, but almost immediately hit it off with Syndicate. She had a sharp tongue and could easily counter any of Syndicate's barbed, arrogant comments, and the two of them quickly fell into a friendly debate. Sparklez was left feeling like a third-wheel, so he just sat quietly and observed.

"They're soft and pampered, they live with two-legs. You all stink of those beasts, and your friends wearing one of their face things!"

Sparklez started slightly at this and shifted his sunglasses with a white-splashed paw, he guessed that two-legs were what they called humans. _And kittypets would obviously be pet cats, _He thought to himself, _They sure do have odd names for things...but then I guess it's no surprise since they don't have people to tell them what things are called._

"That's because we _are _two-legs! And they're not called "two-legs", they're humans." This statement earned Syndicate a sharp look from his companion.

"That fight must have filled your head with fuzz, you're a _cat._"

"We told you, our friend sent us here with magic. He must have turned us into cats too!"

A couple other cats around the clearing had moved over to join the conversation, and none of them seemed to apt to believe Syndicate's crazy claims. Firefoxx lifted her head from where she had been curled up, flashing an amused smirk at Sparklez. Syndicate was starting to get frustrated as Ivypool only laughed at his response.

"It's not funny! That's really what happened! Come on, guys, back me up here!" He insisted, jumping to his paws.

His friends only smiled teasingly at him, completely content with leaving him to explain by himself. He glared at them and leaned back on his haunches, swiping playfully at Sparklez, who ducked down to avoid the blow.

"They do smell more like two-legs than cats!"

"And they don't know anything about stalking or scenting for danger, even _kittypets _know how to at least try that."

More teasing comments rang out from the little group around them, causing Syndicate to fluff his fur up indignantly. Sparklez laughed under his breath, but thought that it was good that they at least half-believed that they were humans now. His friend started pacing in an angry circle, retorting whenever someone aimed a comment at him. Ivypool waved her tail at him with a smile.

"Calm down, what did you expect with a story like that?"

"It's not a story!"

"Okay, whatev-"

Loud pawsteps just outside the camp killed the chatter of the camp, voices ceased and bodies tensed. Sparklez and Firefoxx glanced at each other a little confusedly, not quite sure what was going on. The sunhigh patrol came bursting through the bramble tunnel, fur bushed. The scent of blood hung heavy in the air. The cats gathered around them turned and moved towards the beaten patrol.

"What happened?" Bramblestar called out, emerging from his den and jumping into the clearing below.

"We were attacked on the Windclan border!" Bumblestripe panted, blood dripping from one of his ears.

"They were going on about some sort of sign saying the stream that divided the border belonged to them again."

Sparklez didn't understand a lot of what was going on as the cats reported to their leader, but it was obvious that some sort of rivalry was taking place. He remembered the stream they had crossed when they were attacked by Windclan, and silently thanked Ianite that this hadn't happened before then. If it had, their enemies might've followed them even farther and finished what they had started. A loud announcement shook him from his thoughts.

"From now on no patrol is to go near the Windclan border. It's almost the Fullmoon, I'll confront Onestar at the next gathering. It will be easier to get him to back off if he is unable to launch an attack."

Several cats nodded at their leaders smart plan, and others lashed their tails or turned away. Sparklez could see that the clan was divided, some liked the peaceful approach, and others wanted to shred their enemies for the wrongs committed on their clanmates. Despite it not being his problem, Sparklez couldn't help but feel himself weighing in on the matter.

"You said there are four Clans, right? If you bring this up at that truce-thing then you can convince them that Windclan is in the wrong, and then they may back you up if it comes to a fight later." He suggested hesitantly.

A couple cats snorted like they didn't trust his idea, but a majority of them were looking at him with a new respect. The leader dipped his head ever so slightly, with some sort of knowledge flashing in his deep amber eyes. Sparklez ducked his head shyly as the cats around him began discussing versions of his idea, like how to get word to them in a fight, whether or not Windclan would be too intimidated to fight, and more.

The injured patrol trudged through the crowd and into the medicine cat den, with Bramblestar following to report what had happened. Syndicate looked a little angry at being teased and then shown up by Sparklez, so he was pouting beside the apprentices den with Firefoxx. The ginger she-cat rolled her eyes and nudged him;

"Stop being so salty, they've already forgotten all about bothering you!"

"Hmph, because Sparklez is their new hero! Anyone could have thought of that."

"Geez Syn, calm down. They've already forgotten about him too. I think you're just upset that our pretty guard is paying attention to you anymore."

Firefoxx had meant that little jab to be teasing, to lighten his mood, but her ears pricked in surprise at his response. He refused adamantly, of course, but a strange light hung within his solid black eyes. Firefoxx couldn't help but smirk, which only produced more protests. She felt a real smile cross her face for the first time since Jericho had been injured. Things were looking up, they had shelter, food, and they seemed to be fitting into the Clan nicely.

Surely things could only go well from this point.

_AN: Eeeeeh, crappy chapter because I've missed three days of school and I still don't feel well! Hooray! -sarcasm- I had the most beautiful idea that could link this story to another one I plan on doing sometime after this(the one that you know about Qwerty xD) so my motive for writing them has gone up a little bit. I might still take a few days break, though._

_And I decided that I really like bringing aspects of several series into my stories...so as a slight hint to next chapter, think "TI". But don't think too much, because you totally want this to surprise you. Or think about it a lot and try and guess, because that's always fun too xD_


	6. Episode Three

Syndicate didn't really try to hide his fondness of Ivypool, but neither of them would admit that it was anything more than that. Insisting that they were on friends, they both seemed oblivious to what every cat around them could plainly see. This, of course, was met with mixed feelings among the Clan. A good majority found it amusing, perhaps hoping that the feisty tom would settle down with the clan and lend them an extra set of helping paws. Some still didn't fully trust their guests, though, and they weren't happy with one of their own getting so close to them. Now that Jericho had healed enough to leave the medicine den and help out a little around the camp, he wasted now time in teasing his friend. Even now the two of them were spitting taunts at one another.

"Syndicate's got a cru-ush!"

"Well, at least I didn't get my ass handed to me by a cat."

"We're cats too, you idiot, so it's not that big of a deal."

Sparklez and Firefoxx had just returned from a hunting patrol, rolling their eyes as they heard the two of them at it again. The weren't nearly as efficient as the warriors, but bringing back a few extra pieces of prey was the least they could do to repay the Clas kindness. The three of them that were able to spent their time helping around camp as much as possible, joining patrols, fetching herbs, watching kits. A cloud of worry still hung over them at night, though. They still had no idea how they were to get back home, and they would be expected to leave the Clan any day now, once Jericho was well enough for travelling.

Sparklez was thinking about this yet again, when he suddenly noticed Bramblestar sitting a couple tail-lengths away. He started slightly and then dipped his head, wondering how long the leader had been sitting there. Instead of looking annoyed by being kept waiting, the dark tabby seemed to have concern etched on his face.

"That's quite a face you were making, there. Is something troubling you?"

The black and white tom hesitated for several heartbeats, unsure of how to broach the subject. Did he even have any right to bother Bramblestar with their problems? He had an entire Clan to worry about, why should he have to add four more problems to that?

"Don't even think about lying to me, Sparklez. You are in my camp, your problems are now _our _problems. Let us, let _me_, help you."

"I don't know how much help you can be...but I guess it would be good to get this off my chest. Our story for getting here may seem a little far fetched, but it is true and...because of that none of us really know how were supposed to get back home. We'll leave as soon as Jericho gets better, like we promised, but...we don't know what to do from there."

Perhaps it was fate intervening, but as Bramblestar parted his jaws to reply, a loud caterwaul tore through the air. The leader jumped to his paws, seeming to recognize immediately which member of his clan it came from, and let out an answering cry.

"To me, Thunderclan! Prepare for battle!"

Several cats were already lining up near the bramble tunnel and it suddenly struck the newcomers about what was happening; The dreaded confrontation with Windclan. The four of them exchanged a hard look, determination flashing through their eyes. This was a good a chance as any to repay Thunderclan for their kindness, the Mianite crew would aid them in this battle. As they jumped in alongside the bristling warriors Bramblestar looked like he was about to send them away, but then he met their stubborn faces and only nodded.

In a matter of seconds a battle patrol had formed and was on the move. They met an injured patrol halfway to the border, and the cats in it managed to gasp out that Windclan had crossed the border and was as far as the training clearing before they fresh warriors rushed away with yowls of fury. Time seemed to rush by in a blur for the Mianite crew and before they knew it, their patrol was face to face with Windclan's. Lowering his ears slightly in dismay, Sparklez could recognize at least two of the cats in the patrol as the ones he and his friends had fought before.

The dark tom was eyeing Jericho with a hatred like nothing he had ever witnessed before. He seemed to have forgotten that it was Syndicate that he had fought the first time, or perhaps he didn't care and just wanted these strangers to pay for whatever deed he thought they had committed. A dark knowledge that none of them could place hung in the depths of his eyes, a strangely familiar look that sent shivers through Firefoxx straight down to her toes. The two patrols faced each other for what seemed like hours, and with the tiniest of movements the clearing was a mess with chaotic screeches and writhing bodies. The spontaneous brutality was enough to make her flinch and take a step back.

The three males of the Mianite crew jumped forward as eagerly as the trained warriors, it seemed like they didn't fully grasp the seriousness of the fight; To them it was just another Purge. Their opinions were quickly changed, as they scattered with shrieks of pain. Sparklez was met head on by the same she-cat that fought him before, her blows were harsh and cruel. His bright crimson glasses were the only thing that saved him from having his eyes scratched out, soon he was covered in splotches of the same red. It dripped and poured from wounds along his face and got in his eyes, he fell back to let Firefoxx exchange blows with the brown tabby while he caught his breath and looked for an opening to help her once again. Still breathing heavy, he threw him self forward and head-butted the she-cat as she aimed a devastating blow at Firefoxx.

It was Firefoxx's turn to fall back, and she did so gratefully. She glanced to the side and what she saw turned her blood to ice. The next few heartbeats seemed to happen with blinding speed, and only two cats on the battlefield were able to witness the events exactly. Bramblestar and Firefoxx could only stare open-mouthed as Breezepelt aimed a hefty blow at Jericho. The brown tom was still recovering from the last fight and he stood no chance, careening backwards and landing heavily on his spine. Poor Jericho lacked the training of a seasoned warrior and his legs remained splayed as he struggled to catch his breath, he didn't have the instinct to turn quickly and avoid leaving his belly exposed.

Firefoxx tried to jump forward as she saw Breezepelt pounce on her boyfriend, but there was no way she could reach him in time. The black toms paw raised and then slashed down to quickly for her eyes to follow, driving a line that split Jericho in two from head to tail. Firefoxx recoiled in horror as blood began to spill from the wound, pooling on the ground around Jericho's body and Breezepelt's paws.

Bramblestar's amber eyes were fixed on the violent scene, remembering one that was hauntingly familiar. He had never thought he'd see the day when he saw a warrior use the same horrifying move that had ripped all nine lives away from his dastardly father. Choking on the scent of blood and death that already hung in the air, the tabby struggled to stop himself from shivering in pure disgust and shock. _Where did he learn to fight like that? No warrior should ever use such deadly moves._

Firefoxx remained with her paws fixed in one spot, her mind too broken to tell her to keep moving. From where she was, she could see the Jericho was shaking uncontrollably and making hacking noises, like he was trying to scream in agony, but his throat was to torn to do anything except send more blood pouring down onto the ground. By now most of Windclan had been driven off, and a few warriors noticed the awful scenario that had just played out, so they turned on Breezepelt. Even the arrogant tom knew when he was beaten, turning tail and fleeing back towards the border, his paws staining the grass scarlet with every step.

Once the fight had fizzled out, the Clan suddenly didn't know what to do with themselves. The milled about nervously, unsure of how to comfort their grieving guests or their horrified leader. Finally Bramblestar ordered Lionblaze to lead them back home, while he stayed behind with the Mianite crew. Firefoxx was pressed as close to Jericho as she could possibly get, not caring about the blood that stained her own paws and fur. Syndicate and Sparklez stood on either side of her, their voices dying before they could even manage words of comfort. Together the little group of four crouched around the body, which was already growing cold. Eventually, even Bramblestar stood and padded back to camp on heavy paws.

Firefoxx's jade green eyes were locked with Jericho's dull ones, and hadn't moved for hours. As the sun set words kept running through her head, like a soft, depressing mantra. _I never said goodbye. I never said goodbye. Jericho is dead...and I never said goodbye. _The silence of the dusk was broken by a static-y noise that only Firefoxx heard.

_"Sonja?"_

_AN: There's a reason why it says Sonja, and not Firefoxx. _

_Also, I apologize for taking so long with this and not posting anything else either. This chapter might not be all that great, but I haven't been in the most healthy state of mind since, eh, this time last week I think? I still tried to get something done though. I've gotten a little better, but I think I'll have to take another hiatus on my stories until Friday or so. Sorry._


	7. Grief

Bramblestar was surprised to see that no cat in the Clan bothered to glance at their guests with hostility anymore. Even the ones who had insisted they go as soon as they were healed were quiet. Several days had passed since the death of Jericho, and his friends were still in shock. None of them wanted to believe it had actually happened...and sometimes Bramblestar would catch a glimpse of their faces as they woke each morning; Hope dancing in the corners of their broken eyes, like they had convinced themselves that it was all just some horrible nightmare.

It broke the hearts of everyone in the clan, softening them into finally accepting that their guests could stay as long as they needed to. The cats of the lake were used to death, their lives were always riddled with challenges and not every cat was cut out to overcome them. But Jericho's death had been brutal, as the cats from the battle whispered to their clanmates who had stayed behind. The brown tabby had been condemned to a death that none of them would wish upon another cat, no matter how awful they had been. Some of the cats openly promised to avenge Jericho's death, hoping that their words might ease the Mianite crew's pain.

Bramblestar remained worried over what he had seen. Breezepelt's death blow had been far too vicious for any warrior to have learned from a clanmate, and it was obvious to the tabby leader that he had learned it from the Dark Forest. After the battle he had tried to convince himself to trust the warriors who had trained with their dark ancestors, they hadn't known they were doing anything wrong at the time after all, but something about Breezepelt put him off. The jet-black tom shouldn't still be using the moves he was taught there. Now his actions had destroyed not only one life, but three others as well.

Syndicate and Sparklez found it easier to cope than Firefoxx. Sure, they missed their friend dearly, but they tried to distract themselves from grief by helping out with patrols. The fox-colored she-cat, on the other paw...appeared to have lost the will to carry on without her mate. She spent her time in the nursery with the queens, being watched over like she was a fragile kit herself. Despite her not being one of them, Bramblestar found himself worrying over her depression. So, not knowing how to help, he padded over to Sparklez and sat down.

The black and white tom was probably the easiest of the newcomers to speak with. Something about him seemed familiar to Bramblestar, a stirring of feeling that made him want to trust the tom. Sparklez glanced up as he approached, dipping his head respectfully. It was surprising to see how quickly the Mianite crew had picked up on the subtle movements Clan cats used to convey emotions without speaking aloud. They had certainly blended into Clan life well.

"Hello, Sparklez."

"Bramblestar" He responded, dipping his head again.

There was a hollowness in his mew that made Bramblestar's heart ache, these cats were not used to death. Their mourning was another thing that struck Bramblestar as odd. They grieved like a Clan cat would upon losing kin. It made him want to know more about their departed friend.

"What was he like?" The tabby leader asked quietly.

Sparklez glanced over at him with a slightly confused look, and Bramblestar thought he was going to ignore his question completely as the silence lulled between them. But the tom did speak eventually, after taking a deep breath and shaking out his fur.

"He was the greatest friend a person could ask for. He wasn't the first person I meant when I arrived on the island of Mianite, but...I knew he'd always have my back. I know he and Syndicate didn't always see eye to eye, but there was no doubting that they were best friends. They saw each other as rivals, since they followed different Gods...and their bond was all the stronger for it."

Many of the words in Sparklez speech were foreign to Bramblestar, but the message rang true despite that. The black and white tom obviously had a great deal of respect for Jericho, and the descriptions reminded him of Lionblaze. The tom was tough as stone, yet still devoted himself to his kin and Clan.

The more Bramblestar thought about it, the more parallels he could draw between their guests and the Four that had saved the Clans. Syndicate had a temper, and his sly taunts showed that he had the brains to balance that. His tongue was barbed, just like their own grumpy Jayfeather. Firefoxx had the sane quiet loyalty that burned within Dovewing and...that's why Sparklez seemed so familiar. His eyes shone with same striving for peace and equality that Firestar had.

"He sounds like he was a great cat...er, two-leg."

Bramblestar stuttered awkwardly, realizing that ge had been too caught up in his own thoughts to reply. Now his thoughts were spinning, though, thanks to this new revelation. He remembered Jayfeather's insistence that they weren't the Four this new prophecy, but surely he couldn't argue with this logic? The tabby tom stared at his companion, wondering if he should confide in him. It couldn't hurt to broach the subject.

"Shortly before you came here, Jayfeather spoke with Starclan...They mentioned a dark force plaguing the lake. We'll be doomed if not for four cats who are supposed to save us."

"Who are those four cats?" Sparklez asked with confusion flashing across her face again.

Bramblestar just shrugged his shoulders, pretending like he hadn't the slightest idea. He bid Sparklez farewell, murmuring his condolences again. The black and white tom stared after him for several minutes, the conversation still ringing in his ears. A single question forced it's way to the front of his mind, _why would Bramblestar tell him this? _But he didn't have time to worry about that for long, because just then a shape came bursting from the bramble tunnel. It was Syndicate.

"Bramblestar!"

The tabby bounded over with bristling fur, "Has something happened to your patrol?"

"No, I don't think so. Lionblaze sent me back." The tortoiseshell shook his head.

"Why would he do that?"

"We spotted some Windclan cats on the path to that special pool thing-"

"The Moonpool." Jayfeather broke in, coming to stand by them.

"Yeah, that thing. Lionblaze said that the one was Barkface, the Medicine cat, but he sent me away because of his companion...it was the cat that killed Jericho."

"He wanted to avoid any trouble." Bramblestar guessed.

"But why would Breezepelt, of all cats, be accompanying Barkface to the Moonpool?" Jayfeather started, a dark look crossing his face.

"Unless..." Bramblestar questioned, watching Jayfeather closely.

"Unless Onestar is dead...and Breezepelt is going to receive his nine lives."

Syndicate could remember Ivypool mentioning something about only Clanleaders getting nine lives, and a chill went down his spine. Was the brutal cat that killed his best friend _really _in charge of a whole Clan of cats now? Flicking his ears back in dismay, Syndicate could only imagine that the worst was yet to come.

_AN: Eheh TSG makes it's return! I feel like all I needed was a break, and although I don't have the enthusiasm I originally did for this story, I am happy with the chapters I've started writing again. I have about three more after this done, and hopefully I won't lose motive before typing the last few after that! :D Anyway, it's late so let me know if I've missed any typos and such!_


	8. Trouble Stirring

"Are you sure it isn't...just more stages of shock?"

The camp was dark and silent, every cat was curled in their nests sleeping. All except two troubled figures, crouched within the leaders den on the Highledge. Leader and Medicine cat were sitting close together and talking in hushed tones, not daring to risk waking the rest of the clan. Jayfeather fixed his leader with a hard stare, his blind eyes making the look even more uncomfortable for Bramblestar.

"I wouldn't be discussing this with you if I thought that's what it was. This is nothing like any patients I've had before, trust me...it's not shock or anything like that. It's different than speaking with Starclan, even." Jayfeather's words started with a scathing retort, and then trailed into an emotionless murmur.

The gray tabby had never been fond of dealing with things like this, he liked to know exactly what was happening. It was clearly putting him on edge, and his lip curled in disgust. Bramblestar stared at his paws as he tried to process this information. He wondered vaguely if this was proof that the Mianite crew's story of how they arrived there was true?

Jayfeather had been watching over Firefoxx for the past few days, grieving herself into a state of weakness. That is, until something extraordinary happened. Bramblestar didn't understand how Firefoxx had justified it, but apparently she and Jericho had these things called headsets that they communicated with back at their home.

She said she'd heard him once, and she knew it was him because he'd used her real name. It had only sounded once, though, and she had convinced herself that she had imagined it at the time. She had just gone through a lot of trauma, so it seemed like the most logical explanation. But just this morning Firefoxx had started acting strange, looking like she was listening intently to something and the murmuring back every once in awhile. Jayfeather's blunt approach was met with stubborn silence, but when he left Briarlight managed to coax some information out of her. When she finally tried explaining it to Jayfeather, he had been ready to dismiss it as a stress-dream. Firefoxx seemed to get some of her spirit back and spat at him, not appreciating being treated like a silly kit.

Then she moved closer, letting this headset thing sit close to his ear. "Say hello, Jericho." She had said. The gray tabby snorted at first and then stood stock-still when her mate's voice did reach his ears. It was odd and distorted, but it was definitely Jericho's. Pushing his disbelief aside, he questioned the tabby.

"The Wizards explained it to me, well...as best as they could anyway. Wag must've freaked when we disappeared and they've been trying to find us ever since, it looks like we really were sent to another dimension. They didn't have any idea how to get us back at first, but now they say that they'll figure it out 'cause they've got me here. It might take some time...but we'll get you home, I promise."

"So...if we die, we'll just be sent back to the island like you were, right?" Firefoxx had asked softly, tears in the corners of her eyes.

"No!" Jericho's refusal made them both jump. "D-don't even think about it! I came back because the link from us being sent there was still up...but it's not anymore. I've got some...bad news. After I came through, the Gods picked up on our disappearance and Dianite...he went into that world and cut off the link. If any of you die there now, you'll die for good."

"What is this 'Dianite'" Bramblestar asked, breaking into Jayfeather's recount of what happened.

"I think it's kind of like their version of the Dark Forest. Dianite is it's ruler." The gray tabby responded, once again annoyed that he didn't fully understand the situation.

"The dark force..." Bramblestar murmured , and Jayfeather nodded in agreement.

The two tabbies stared at each other for several tense seconds. The prophecy was making itself known much quicker than they had thought it would. Their only hope was the three remaining members of tbe Mianite crew...who were bodies foreign to them and in a world very different than their own. Things didn't appear to be in their favor.

_AN: This is a shorter chapter, but don't worry, the next ones will be back at their normal lengths! I've started rereading some of the Warriors series(mainly the Super Editions) so after this series I might try so more Warriors one-shots. Since one-shots seem to be what I'm best at xD_


	9. Poisoned Trust

"So Jericho isn't really dead?" Syndicate asked, relief swamping his voice and making it quiver.

"No, he was just sent back home." Firefoxx answered, starting to sound more like herself with every passing day.

Most of the Clan just assumed that Firefoxx was speaking to Jericho in the same manner that a Medicine cat spoke with Starclan, since they couldn't wrap their heads around Two-leg items like headsets. Jayfeather asked them to keep most of the details hushed, afraid that talk of another Dark Forest-like problem would cause a panic. The three of them were huddled together at the edge of the camp, so Sparklez risked the question.

"So, Dianite is definitely here? We're a hundred percent sure that the Wizards aren't mistaken?"

"I wouldn't want to risk checking." She responded dryly.

Sparklez flashed her a look and then motioned for them to move closer. He hadn't spoken to his friends about the prophecy, mainly because he hadn't been able to make sense of it, but this knowledge gave him a sudden certainty. They had to be the Four and Dianite had to be the dark force. He was the one thing these cats knew nothing about, and the one thing that only the Mianite crew knew anything about.

"We have to stop Dianite before we go back." He meowed gravely.

"Of course! We're not leaving my homie here with these cats!" Syndicate spat indignantly.

Sparklez glanced at him with sudden fear and suspicsion shining in his blue eyes. It had completely slipped his mind, that Syndicate's alliegence with Dianite might mean he would be against them. The tortoiseshell looked confused as he gazed back at Sparklez, and even Firefoxx seemed a bit unnerved by his look.

"Sparklez...?" She asked hesitantly.

"You don't understand...If we don't stop him, Dianite's going to do something awful to these cats. He might already be doing it!" The tom spat, struggling to keep his voice low.

His companions blinked at him with surprise written plainly on their faces. Firefoxx was more apt to believe his words, but Syndicate's expression quickly turned cross and pulled his lips back in a snarl.

"You don't know that! He could just be looking for me; his most loyal follower."

"As a matter of fact, I _do_ know that. Jayfeather had an omen about it." Sparklez retorted.

This quieted Syndicate quickly and for a second doubt flickered in Sparklez. Then it moved away again and he flicked his tail distrustfully. Syndicate had always been sneaky, so he still wasn't sure if the tom was bluffing or not. Firefoxx picked up on his misgivings and shuffled closer to him and away from Syndicate. The tortoiseshell tom stared at them in disbelief.

"You can't believe I would have any part in that! I wouldn't betray these cats after what they did for us." He insisted glaring at Sparklez.

"And I'm just supposed to trust you? How many times have we heard you say that only to have you stab us in the back?"

"Yeah, back home where we all troll each other! I wouldn't risk losing any of you forever!" Syndicate lashed his tail, looking more and more aggravated by the minute.

Firefoxx glanced around uneasily, realizing that the two toms had been getting increasingly louder and that several other cats had noticed the argument. She tried reaching a paw out to get Sparklez attention, but he just shrugged it off, to wrapped up in his quarrel with Syndicate. The black and white tom was normally a lot calmer in these situations, but the prospect of dying here must have put him on edge and made him desperate to eliminate any chances of being betrayed. While she was distracted with watching the Clan, their argument grew more violent.

"Where is Dianite, then? If he's only concerned with your whereabouts, then surely you would know where he is." Sparklez spat, stepping forward aggressively.

"I don't know, get off my back! I haven't done anything wrong!" Syndicate mimicked him, stepping backward though.

It was clear that the tortoiseshell tom wasn't willing to lash out in retaliation, because Sparklez would only use that as proof that he wasn't to be trusted. Instead he hissed in his face, and when Sparklez flinched back in anticipation of an attack, he turned and fled out of the camp and into the forest. Firefoxx took a couple of steps after him, but then glanced back with alarm on her face. She was afraid that Sparklez would turn on her next. He stepped after her at first, but didn't say a word. They heard pawsteps approaching quickly and turned to see Jayfeather and Bramblestar rushing over to them.

"What was that all about?" Jayfeather hissed under his breath, while Bramblestar ushered the Clan away from them.

"B-bu- He's a follower of Dianite." Sparklez stammered, trying to explain himself.

"And now you've driven him right into the enemy's paws!" The Medicine cat snarled.

"We don't know that he was hiding anything." Firefoxx piped in quietly.

"She's right, we have to find him if we want to find anything out." Bramblestar said, moving to join them.

"I'll go get him." A sudden voice broke into their conversation.

The turned and spotted Ivypool sitting in the shadows of the camp entrance nearby. She looked a little uncomfortable about jumping into an importabt conversation, but worry kept her from backing down. Bramblestar met her gaze for awhile and then dipped his head, Ivypool disappearing as soon as he did so.

"He'll respond better to her than one of us, if he's still upset." The leader explained, seeing Sparklez disbelieving glance.

"Let's just hope she finds him before Dianite does." Jayfeather growled darkly.

_AN: The more I work on this, the more I feel my motive for it returning. I've always enjoyed Warriors, and I've been a big fan of the series since I was in fifth grade, so it's nice to try and put myself into their minds for a story. I have an idea for another, shorter, Warriors crossover that I might work on once this one's done. Except that one would be a Blackrock Chronicles crossover, so it'd be filled with the Yogscast. (Last time I checked FyreUK was a part of the Yogscast though, so perhaps the Wizards could make an appearance? XD)_


	10. A Forever Mistake

Soft pawsteps were getting closer and closer, the crunch putting him on edge. He didn't know who was following him, but he wasn't about to find out. Sparklez mistrust had cut him deep, and he wasn't going to let them accuse him anymore. He honestly hadn't known anything about his Lord being there, but they obviously didn't care to listen. Before he knew it he was at the stream dividing Thunderclan from Windclan, the tang of scent marks making his nose twitch. His pawsteps slowed to a stop as he considered his options. Go ahead and run the risk of being found be a Windclan patrol, or go back and face whoever was pursuing him.

Before he could move paws hit his shoulders, forcing him to the ground with a yowl a surprise.

"You still haven't learned how to avoid an ambush?" A voice teased.

Syndicate rolled away from his assaillant and tensed, still on edge despite the soft voice.

"And you can't even tell who's on you?"

Bright blue eyes suddenly stared into his, causing him to back up. Ivypool definitely wasn't who he was expecting to see, but he wasn't going to complain. He shook his fur out to try and hide his earlier fright. The she-cat didn't buy his bluff and the amusement soon faded from her eyes.

"Why'd you run off?" Her voice was casual, but her eyes were searching.

"You didn't hear...?" His eyes were narrowed and distrustful.

"They didn't want the rest of the Clan to know what it was about. It seems pretty suspicious, if you ask me." She mewed, shooting him a sideways glance.

Syndicate didn't answer for a long time, considering her words. It seemed like the important members of the Clan wanted to keep the arrival of Dianite a secret, but Ivypool was clearly interested in what was going on. Part of Syndicate thought that he shouldn't say anything...but another part of him wanted to rebel as revenge for his unfair treatment. And so he did.

"Sparklez is being a dick because my homie Dianite has shown up here." He said matter of factly

Ivypool just stared at him dryly, "Making sense is just too difficult for you, isn't it?"

Syndicate let out a huge sigh, throwing his head back excentrically, like it was a big hassle to explain it in terms that the warrior could actually understand. She cuffed him over the ear and he flinched away in surprise. He expected to see annoyance in her eyes, but instead them seemed to spark good-naturedly, which was surprising considering her sharp tongue.

"Okay...so you know how each of us worships a God?"

"What is a God?" She tilted her head to the side.

"Uh...they're kind of like Starclan for you guys. Except they can affect our world more...and there's only one of them."

Ivypool nodded thoughtfully and motioned for him to continue with her tail.

"Well, my God, Dianite, is known as the Lord of Chaos. To put it simply, he's the bad guy and he plans on doing something bad here. I might be his follower and I like causing chaos, but I'm not cruel. I wouldn't do anything malicious to your clan after all they did for Jericho...but Sparklez doesn't belive me."

"Why not? I thought you were all friends."

"We are! But I might have been a little rude to him back home...by trying to burn down his home...and insulting his God. A lot."

Ivypool shot him a scathing glance and he just shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. The more he thought about it, it really was his own fault that Sparklez was acting so bitter over this. Still, it hurt him to think that Sparklez and Firefoxx were willing to chase him out. What if he was killed because he didn't have them to back him up? He'd never make it back home alone.

"I know how you feel, though." The grey and white tabby mewed suddenly.

Syndicate glanced at her with wide eyes, curiousity sparking from him. The she-cat hesitated for a second and then shook out her fur, as if clearing dark thoughts.

"You remember Lionblaze's stories about the Great Battle?" She continued when her companion nodded, "well...I wasn't always on the right side of that battle."

"When I was still an apprentice, one of their warriors tricked me into visiting them every night. I trained and fought, I thought they were making me a better warrior. I was wrong. And when I realized that I became a spy for Thunderclan...but some of my clanmates will never be able to overlook the fact that for a while...I was a true Dark Forest warrior."

The tortoiseshell tom looked at her in disbelief, suddenly aware of the power she seemed to posses. She knew the powerful moves that had killed his best friend. Her eyes were searching as she gazed at him, questioning him. She wondered if he was scared of her now...or if he would hate her for knowing how dangerous Breezepelt could be but not doing anything for Jericho.

"But don't they realize that you helped them win, with your inside information?" Was his first question.

Ivypool seemed relieved that he didn't immediately judge her and she responded, "Clan cats are always on edge. Just knowing that I was one of them is enough to make them distrust me."

"They seemed okay with you to me."

"Yes, when I've done something good or things are peaceful. But when something bad happens? Me and the other former Dark Forest members are thr first ones they single out."

"Don't they see how loyal you are now?"

"Yes and no. There's no point in trying to fight them on this, because then they'll accuse me of being too confrontational, like a traitor. It's something I'll have to live with forever...a mistake I'll never be able to escape."

The sadness in her voice on lasted a few seconds, and then she shook her head vigiorously.

"I can't afford to think like that, though. Because that bitterness and jealousy is what got me there in the first place."

Syndicate couldn't help but admure this tough she-cat. It looked like she was willing to spend the rest of her days proving her worth, even though she was being wrongfully judged. These cats often talked about signs and other superstitous things...but something in him wanted to see this talk as something more than ordinary. Like their ancestors were telling him to be strong and prove to his friends that he wasn't betraying them. That they needed him to help stop Dianite.

"Thank you." His tone was unusually soft and he reached out in a gesture that he had seen often among the clan, touching his nose to hers, "I know what I need to do now."

She blinked in surprise, but didn't move away. "You have my support, always."

_AN: Eheh, I thought I would get all the chapters of this typed out early, but I've been lazy. I think I have one more finished one after this...and then I'm going to have to get my butt in gear. But for now; Muffins! :D (Chocolate chip muffins are super good btw) Also, I thoroughly enjoyed working on this chapter. For some reason I really liked trying to get in Ivypool's head for her little pick-me-up speech to Syndicate. _


	11. Not-so-veiled Threats

"We have to prepare for war and we have to start now."

Bramblestar's voice was grim as he spoke to the cats gathered around. He hadn't announced this to the rest of the clan yet, but the ones that had accompanied him to the Gathering the night before were whispering about it already.

"Can we survive another battle, though?" Jayfeather asked skeptically.

The Medicine cat knew fully well that there was no chance of avoiding the fight with Windclan, but he was bringing up a thought the others didn't want to dwell on. Was Thunderclan strong enough to make it through this so soon after the Great Battle and then the floods?

"There are no other options. Breezestar made it quite clear that he wanted Thunderclan gone and he's got backing from the other clans."

"What do you mean?" Firefoxx tipped head to the side.

"He told them about us letting you stay with our Clan, and the other Clans have always disapproved of the charity we show to outsiders. They didn't care to listen to my explanations. That's why we have to act now, before Breezestar can convince them to fight on his side."

The Mianite crew looked horrified at this news, realizing that it was partially their fault. Meanwhile, Jayfeather and Ivypool nodded with dark eyes. There would be dire consequences if they didn't hurry. The Gathering last night had been very tense. As it turned out, Breezestar really had become leader following Onestar's death, which was apparently a mystery even to his own Clan. Windclan blamed rogues out loud, but no one had missed the accusing stares from them. It was obvious that most of the Clan thought another Clan was responsible for their leaders death. It must have been a brutal fight too, for Onestar to have lost all of his remaining lives.

Breezestar had wasted no time in announcing Thunderclan's housing of more "kittypets" and quickly stirred up the already on-edge Shadowclan and Riverclan. Mistystar was less apt to be angry at Bramblestar, but Rowanstar had been itching for a fight ever since Thunderclan had stepped in to help them with their last problem. The Thunderclan leader could only attempt to defend himself, but none of them was in the mood to listen. When the Gathering was dismissed, the other two clans left first, leaving Thunderclan and Windclan alone while they waited to cross the tree bridge. Tensions were high, and Bramblestar was sure that on any other day a fight would have broken out immediately.

As the Clans ambled about and moved to make their way back home, the new Windclan leader fell in beside Bramblestar. Static seemed to crackle like thunder between their pelts and the tabby leader had to force his fur to lie flat. Breezestar's amber eyes had narrowed with hate as he stared into his rivals eyes.

"Watch yourself, Bramblestar. The next time Thunderclan is found to have wronged Windclan, it will be one of your warriors lying on the ground with his innards spilling out, looking like half-eaten crowfood. Think of that kittypet as a warning."

Bramblestar could only stare in shock at such an open threat and Breezestar hurried after his Clan without another sound. The tabby tom was much older and larger than Breezestar, but something about the dangerous tom made him shiver. Breezestar had trained with Tigerstar and Hawkfrost in the Dark Forest and even though Bramblestar's dastardly family was finally dead once and for all, their legacy of hate lived on in the warriors they had taught. If something wasn't done fast, then Breezestar could risk destroying the Clans, just as Tigerstar had nearly done with Scourge and Bloodclan.

Bramblestar didn't repeat the threat to the cats around him, fearing that it would only discourage Jericho's friends. These cats were their key to getting rid of Dianite and probably the only hope they had at avoiding another tragedy. If they backed down, Thunderclan faced destruction.

"We'll have to start preparing immediately, and attack as soon as possible." Bramblestar's voice dropped at this point.

The Thunderclan warriors looked surprised at this and they glanced at their leader uneasily. He looked back at them, his eyes mirroring their doubt. It wasn't the most pleasant plan of action and they couldn't guarantee that it would even work.

"Breezestar is used to Thunderclan avoiding fights for the sake of peace, if we attack now he won't be expecting it. It's our best chance at winning without huge casulties."

Jayfeather, Lionblaze and Ivypool nodded grudgingly, even they couldnt argue with that logic. The Clan would be skeptical at first, but Bramblestar felt confidant that they would stand beside him when the time came. Thunderclan would prevail.

"We'll go back to explain what must be done to the others. Lionblaze, assess them and make sure they're ready to fight. If they aren't send them back to help aroumd camp. I won't lose another friend to Breezestar's brutality."

Firefoxx blinked at him with a bittersweet smile, grateful of his worry but still wishing that they'd thought to check before letting her boyfriend rush to his death. After the others left, the golden tabby fixed them all with a searching look. He was sizing them up.

"Are you prepared to face Windclan again?" He asked after a moment.

Syndicate and Sparklez nodded curtly, bit Firefoxx looked apprehensive. Was it fair to ask her to fight for a third time, after losing so much to them? Her companions flashed disappointed looks at her hesitance, but Lionblaze could understand her anxieties. The toms could use their size and strength to their advantage while fighting the scrawny Windclan cats, despite their lack of proper warrior training. Firefoxx on the other paw...she was more like a Windclan cat in stature than a Thunderclan cat. And perhaps as fast too...

"Come on, Firefoxx! Don't bitch out on them now, they've done a lot for us." Syndicate growled, shooting a glare at the she-cat.

The tension of preparing for war must have already affected the two toms, because they turned on their companion before Lionblaze could speak. The fox-colored she-cat flicked her ears back with guilt written plainly on her face, but she still hesitated. It was obvious that she didn't consider herself ready to fight trained warriors, but her friends didn't see it that way. They both wore identical looks of disappointment and contempt. They thought she was cowardly for putting her own safety first.

"Hey! Calm down you two. Forcing her to fight alongside you won't help anything, it'll only speed up her death." Lionblaze butted in, fixing them each with a stern look.

When they stepped back and stared at their paws, shame rippling through their fur, the golden tabby spoke again. "I think I have a better job for Firefoxx, anyway. How would you like to help Jayfeather and Leafpool?"

"What could I possibly do to help them?" The she-cat asked, looking bewildered.

"One of the medicine cats will come with us, for emergency care, and the other needs to stay in camp. Jayfeather is the first choice to come with us...but he's blind. He can't see which cats need help first and he doesn't know the terrain as well as he knows his own territory. He'll need someone to run in and deliver herbs, or quickly transport injured warriors to him. Extra paws are always helpful, and you're faster than our apprentices."

With this new option, Firefoxx seemed to brighten considerably. Here was a job that was important, and she could do it well...but it was also less dangerous. She wouldn't have to worry about her lack of fighting skills or strength now. It opened up a whole new path to her. After she nodded quickly to show she appreciated his offer, he moved on to testing Sparklez and Syndicate. It would be a long day...teaching these "kittypets" the fighting moves the needed for the coming days.

_AN: I took it upon myself to take a break from writing since I had a three day weekend...and it turned into a week long break. But I'm back feeling more refreshed then ever and with about a million and a half ideas for one-shots. Also, I'm posting this from my phone, so if there are any mistakes let me know so I can fix them when I get home. Just three more chapters to go! :D Maybe! :D_


	12. The Battle Begins

_It's colder than the End out here!_

Shivering so hard he could barely feel his whiskers, Sparklez tried to focus on putting one paw in front of the other as quietly as possible. Envy shot through him as the warriors of Thunderclan stalked forward around him. Their pawsteps were cautious and perfect, barely skimming the ground. Completely silent. The black and white tom could only pray that his white-tipped paws managed the same careful gait. His whiskers trembled from the effort of keeping quiet, because unfortunately, he just wasn't on the same level as the cats who had trained for this since kithood.

Freezing air swirled around them, punctuated by quick winds that chilled the thinner pelted cats to the core. Sparklez could faintly hear a cat near the back of the patrol wonder how Windclan cats could stand the open moors when they had weather this bad, and he silently agreed. His ears flattened against his head and, not for the first time, he wished he had a pelt as thick as Firefoxx's. Despite her fluffy fur, which was bushed out in a weak attempt to keep the cold out, even she seemed to be shivering slightly. Even the weather seemed to be trying to drive these intruders from it's territory.

No doubt the temperature would warm considerably once the sun rose, but the moon was still high in the sky and morning was a long ways off. Attacking Windclan in the middle of the night had been Ivypool's idea, after noticing that Windclan's dawn patrol was up and along the borders a good deal before Thunderclan's. If they wanted to have the advantage of catching them off guard...it would have to be before they sent their first patrols out. He might not have the same skillful stalking as the trained warriors, but at least his body adjusted to being a cat quickly. He could see more clearly through the dark with his cat eyes than if he had used a potion of Night Vision back home.

As they approached what Sparklez could only assume was the camp, Bramblestar raised his tail to halt them. No cat dared to speak, but they didn't really need to. The plans had been explained before they started on the trek, and now they all stared eagerly as they awaited the signals that would start the attack. The first patrol crouched lower to the ground, tension singing in their muscles as they waited. Syndicate and Firefoxx were in that patrol. Firefoxx would stay near the back of it and avoid the thick of the fighting, but she would still be there if they needed an extra pair of paws.

Sparklez felt a prick of anxiety as his patrol slowly made it's way around to the back of the camp, and he glanced back several times to make eye contact with his friends. Taking a deep breath, he focused on the task ahead of him and struggled to calm his mind. Little fights had always broken out on the Island...but this was something completely different. This would be war, with many fights all happening at once. The thought frightened him, and he fought down the fear converging like a stone in the pit of his stomach.

Dark shapes started moving quickly across from them. The fight had started. The plan was that the first patrol would attack from the entrance, and once the Windclan cats had ermerged from their dens, then the second patrol would attack from behind and box them in. Sparklez flinched as the first shriek pierced the quiet of the night. Commotion broke out quickly and a chorus of angry, disbelieving yowls rose in pitch as the Windclan cats realized what was going on. And they'll be even angrier now, Sparklez thought as Lionblaze lashed his tail from one side to the other. It was the signal for his patrol to attack.

Around him cats leapt into action, but Sparklez couldn't help but hesitate for a second before plunging into the camp after them. Beside him, Rosepetal leapt onto the back of a larger Windclan warrior and Sparklez veered to assist her in a move he had seen practiced in the days leading to the fight. When the warrior twisted to try and dislodge his attacker, Sparklez lashed out and raked his claws across the tom's face. He let out a furious cry and turned to try and face this new assailant. Before he could even lift a paw Rosepetal dug her claws in further and the tom began to look overwhelmed as he frantically tried to decide which cat to focus on.

Further off, Syndicate was leaning back on his haunches, raining down a flurry of hits upon a she-cat who matched him blow for blow. The tabby faced him with lips drawn back in a snarl, neither was intimidated by the others fierce display. Every time one's paw opened a new wound, their opponent would mimic the attack. Soon the were both laced with many cuts along their faces and shoulders. Unfortunately the odd-colored tortoishell wasn't as seasoned as the Windclan she-cat, and he could already feel his paws growing heavy. He wouldn't be able to keep these attacks up much longer, and the tabby seemed to be aware of that. She stared back with a determined hatred in her shining eyes.

"Duck!" A voice rang out near Syndicate's ear and he obeyed quickly.

Narrowly avoiding another vicious swipe, the tom fell back onto all four paws and crouched lower. Shadows fell across him and fur flashed at the edges of his vision as Ivypool sailed over him and met the Windclan she-cat head on, the two rolling over and over in a knot of fur and claws. The tabby ended up on top, but as soon as they tumbled to a hault Ivypool kicked out roughly and sent her flying back towards Syndicate. He aimed carefully, and smacked the she-cat up side the head with a heavy paw. She staggered to the ground and didn't stand up again, eyes rolling as she tried to clear her head. Satisfied that their enemy wouldn't be fighting any further, Ivypool moved over to Syndicate quickly.

"Have you seen Breezestar?" She asked urgently.

Syndicate shook his head quickly, glancing around nervously. Ivypool frowned and her eyes flashed with some emotion that he couldn't read. Was it really such a big deal that they hadn't seen the Windclan leader yet? Before he could ask, the gray and white tabby dashed away again. He was about to follow when a familiar cry rang out, though he couldn't place it at first through the chaos of the battle. Worried that perhaps Firefoxx had gotten herself caught in the thick of the fighting, he rushed towards the sound. He stumbled to a halt as he rounded on a pair of Windclan cats advancing on one of their den-tunnels.

The tips of Firefoxx's ears were just barely visible from within the hole, she had been backed into the den and had no way to escape the oncoming warriors. Syndicate crouched low, hoping that he could avoid attracting attention to himself while he figured out what to do next. These were two fully-trained warriors and he was already bleeding quite a bit...were the two of them really any match for them? But he wasn't about to let them attack his friend without lifting a paw to help, so he threw himself at the smaller of the two with a furious screech. They flinched slightly and recoiled from his sudden attack, and Syndicate prayed that Firefoxx could use the lapse in their attention to her advantage. Maybe, just maybe, they could turn the tide of this fight in their favor.

Firefoxx sat with her belly pushed as far into the dirt as she could, as if somehow she could disappear if she just willed herself to hard enough. Her point of view was limited, so she hadn't seen Syndicate approaching before his sudden attack, and as the two cats rolled away she lost sight of him again. A nasty cut ran across the top of her hind leg, but for some reason she felt little pain from it. Instead, she grit her teeth and launched herself out of the tunnel. Fear coursed through her at the thought of taking on an opponent with such a clear advantage, but she had no choice. If she let her anxieties take over, then they would make quick work of a solitary Syndicate and come after her again. This was her only chance, even if it was a small one.

Her best advantage would have been to take her enemy by surprise with this move, but Syndicate's attack didn't distract him long enough. He rounded on her just as she reached him and batted her outstretched claws away easily, sending her stumbling to the side. The force of her redirected attack caused her to hit the ground hard, shockwaves of pain rippling through her jaw as she face-planted. Firefoxx convulsed in a silent scream of pain and glared feebly up at the tom, who stared back impassively. This black tom didn't seem to have the same anger burning in his belly that the rest of the Clan cats had, instead his blue eyes flashed dully, as if he didn't want this fight to happen, but was still resigned to send the intruders away quickly. And something about him seemed familiar.

Before either of them could move again, and before Firefoxx could figure out why she felt as though she knew this tom, any shape hurtled into him. Black and white fur flashed and suddenly Sparklez was in between Firefoxx and her attacker. He seemed to be holding his own pretty well in this fight, with barely a scratch on him. Seeing that the tides had tipped in their favor, the fox-colored she-cat took a deep breath and scrambled to her paws again. The two of them advanced slowly, but the tom didn't move. His eyes flicked from one to the other, giving away nothing.

And just as suddenly as Sparklez had attacked, the black tom lunged for Firefoxx. Neither of them had even seen his muscles tense, and they were caught off-guard. The breath was squashed fron her as the tom knocked Firefoxx to the ground and slashed at her face, catching her just above her eye and causing red to obscure her vision. Sparklez was on the warrior in an instant, burying his teeth in his scruff and dragging him off Firefoxx. She jumped to her paws and bit down hard, hoping that she had gotten their enemy and not Sparklez. Blinking the blood from her eyes, she found that she did have the Windclan warriors paw between her teeth and she sunk her teeth in further.

"Stop!" Bramblestar's commanding meow suddenly rang out.

Sparklez and Firefoxx broke away and crouched near each other, eyeing their opponent distrustfully. The tabby leader bounded over to the tom, followed quickly by Ivypool, and the black furred warrior bared his teeth. Despite the tension and being surrounded by enemies, the tom still glared around defiantly. As they converged around him, Syndicate came padding over, his enemy crouched and bleeding behind him.

"Stand up, Crowfeather. We won't attack you if you cooperate." Bramblestar said.

"This is a battle, Bramblestar, not a friendly passing of patrols." Crowfeather hissed back.

"Where is your son? We can end this now, peacefully." He insisted.

"How should I now? I've been fighting your clan." The black tom retorted.

The Mianite crew and Ivypool watched with silent interest, drinking in the conversation. As they spoke, it dawned on Forefoxx why she had thought Crowfeather looked familiar; He looked just like Breezestar. He didn't look at all happy to be discussing his son, though. In fact...he appeared to have a furious light in the corners of his eyes, as he began to realize that it must have been something his son did that provoked this sudden, surprising attack from the normally peaceful Thunderclan. Suddenly they became aware of a stunning silence all around, a long lull in the battle. Sparklez and Syndicate twisted around and stared. A couple of fights were still going, but most of the cats had stopped to stare back in their direction. Something was wrong. They flinched as a cold voice sounded from behind them;

"Looking for someone?"

_AN: Between school, surprise visits from family, and my anxiety acting up again, I've had little to no time to work on writing. This chapter is twice as long as normal, and I tried to work really hard on descriptions, in the beginning while I had time at least, so perhaps that will make up for it being so late? Unfortunately, all of that also means I haven't even started the next chapter D: I have a goal of making the last two chapters a lot more descriptive, since they'll probably take just as long as this one. Any tips, constructive criticism, or pointing out mistakes is greatly appreciated!_

_ And I've missed so many chapters by my friends, that I'll have to catch up on too -cries- _


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